kO′ch VAadj. 1. a highly specialized and niched virtual
assistant who is in tune with their coaching clients and customizes solutions based upon their individual needs and goals 2. differs from a general virtual assistant as they only partner with members of the coaching industry [syn: Virtual Accuracy Companies]
vur′chu-al asis′tentadj. an independent contractor and entrepreneur who assists you in taking care of the administrative and technical side of your business or life. They assist you or your business on a contractual basis from a remote location. While most VAs perform administrative tasks they are more than just a home-based secretary. Before setting up their practices, most VAs held prominent positions in the corporate world. The Virtual Assistance industry comprises former corporate trainers, publicity agents, marketing executives, paralegals, executive assistants and many more. **This particular definition of a Virtual Assistant was developed by Virtual Accuracy Companies.
Calvin Coolidge once said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Who can disagree with that?
Many, many successful people have touted that persistence and dedication is what has led to their success. Success doesn’t come without pitfalls and when we hear about a successful entrepreneur we often don’t realize that a lot of the times their outcomes have been more negative than positive – they’ve simply been persistent and “pressed on” until they achieved their dreams.
If you’re stuck in a rut or are finding that your persistence is starting to wane a little, these tips will help you build it up once again.
Visualize your goals – When you’re stuck it’s often difficult to see beyond your current place. But simple visualization can help you “see” into what the future may hold and keep you on the persistence track. Take a few minutes each day (preferably at the start or end of the day) and visualize where you’d like your business to be in a year or two years’ time. Be realistic but also positive in your visualization.
Imagine what your improved business will mean to your life. See yourself as a successful entrepreneur achieving your goals. Visualization techniques have worked for many entrepreneurs and can help you move forwards in your business.
Design a vision board – A vision board is a back-up to your visualization. Many of us have difficulty imagining a situation which isn’t tangible at the moment; this is where a vision board comes in. All you need to create one is a simple pegboard and pictures of your ideal situation. These can include your dream home, perhaps something representative of being debt free, motivational quotes, pictures of your family – anything that will help you stay on track and motivated.
One step at a time – When you drive in the dark you can only see at most two feet in front of you at anytime, but eventually you’ll end up at your destination. Just like driving in the dark, you don’t need to see much further ahead in your business. If you concentrate on the big picture too much, you may struggle and feel overwhelmed. Instead concentrate on small manageable goals that you can achieve one step at a time. Once you achieve a small goal, then go on to the next one – slowly, a few feet at a time until eventually, like the car driving in the dark, you end up at your destination.
Attack from all angles – Persistence can slip even the most dedicated entrepreneurs at times, and to gain it back you may need a full-force attack. This means placing yourself in the very best possible position to achieve success.
Look after your physical health - Take time out to avoid burnout. Do the things you love in order to stay positive. And appreciate what you currently have in life.
All of these things will help to put you in a state of mind that is open to success. Staying committed and persistent as an entrepreneur is not an easy feat and the healthier you are overall, the easier achieving that goal will become.
Being a good decision maker can help you in business and life. It’s been said that highly confident people make decisions clearly and stick to them rather than changing their minds or being indecisive.
And even if decision making doesn’t come naturally to you, it is a skill which can be built on. Here are a few tips to help you:
Start Small
Even making small everyday decisions will help you accomplish the bigger goal. Small decisions such as what food to eat at a restaurant are not to be underestimated. A good way to start is the next time you’re eating out, look at the menu and decide what you’d like to eat. Then put the menu down and don’t change your mind. Don’t ask your companions what they’re having and base your decision on that – make the decision on your own and then stick to it.
Small steps like this can be empowering and help you to tackle the bigger decisions to come in the future.
Approach Decisions Logically
Many of us tend to make emotion-based decisions rather than logical ones. In business this can spell disaster. A good way to help you approach decisions in a logical manner may be to write down a list of pros and cons.
Simply grab a sheet of paper and label one side pros and one side cons. Then list all the good and bad points of your choice. Logically think through your comments and then make your decision. This way you can leave emotions out of the equation and concentrate purely on the facts.
Cut Yourself Some Slack
Making decisions is a skill which can be learned but even pros don’t always make the right choices. Realize that making decisions effectively takes confidence and is a great first step, but your decisions may not always be the right decisions. If you happen to make the wrong decision, give yourself a break and take comfort in the fact that you thought out your decision clearly and logically and made the best choice possible at the time.
Being a good decision maker takes time and practice. However, it’s a worthwhile skill to develop. Making decisions regularly may help build your confidence level and also help people know where they stand with you – two great entrepreneurial qualities.
There are many ways to manage time while working online. The computer, Internet, and various other types of activities that can be pursued while working may prove to be quite overwhelming when it comes to time restraints or deadlines. If your income is dependent upon the financial success that you achieve online, it is absolutely imperative that you take the time to ensure that you are maximizing each and every minute of your working time.
Productivity is an extremely important element to the overall success of an online business. In order to reach a high level of productivity, time management skills are a must for every home business owner. Here are five ways to help manage your time while working online in turn boosting your productivity and hopefully income.
One of the first methods you can implement to manage your time is reducing the amount of time spent on the telephone. One of the biggest time restraints that individuals experience are telephone calls. It is quite easy to experience a severe time lapse while working due to unexpected calls, long conversations, and even calls that are necessary for the overall functionality of your business.
One way to manage this aspect of your time is to turn off the ringer and utilize voice mail. Then, you should set aside a time each day to check your messages and return calls as appropriate.
The next way that you can manage online work time is to avoid the act of constantly checking email. Just like the phone, this can take up a lot of your time. You should set aside small chunks of time on a daily basis where you can go through your email and respond when needed.
For the average eight hour work day, I recommend setting aside up to four intervals of fifteen minutes a day to handle the task of dealing directly with email. While this may seem like an awful lot of time at first, you will find that it actually saves you time in the end.
Do you work at home? Do you have children? If so, you may consider setting up a schedule in a way that works well with the schedule of your partner. This way, your partner can contend with the kids and you can focus on your work instead of sitting down to work and getting interrupted after 5 or 10 minutes. If this is not possible, you may consider implementing the services of a babysitter, daycare or mommy’s helper a few days a week. This way, you aren’t neglecting your business or your family.
If you want to learn ways to manage your time while working online from home, it is important to express to family members, friends, and neighbors that you work at certain times and it is important that you are able to maintain a sound level of productivity while working. Come up with times that these individuals may call you to chat or come by for a visit.
Although not always intentional, these friends and family will end up testing you initially and drop by and call anytime. However, if you let them know it is not acceptable and set up appropriate times for these activities, you will find yourself getting more accomplished during these times.
The last way for you to better manage your working time is to take breaks. Yes, I said it! You may not believe that by taking a break you can actually increase your overall productivity, but it is quite true! Why do you think employers allow their employees to take small breaks?
It allows the employee to experience a short time of relaxation and also provides them with the opportunity to refresh! You can experience this too, so be sure to work in those breaks and take them – you can always finish what you started when you get back!
As you can see, there are a number of ways to successfully manage your time while working online. Sometimes, all it takes is a little creativity and persistence to come up with successful time management techniques. Here’s to a better organized and more profitable online working environment.
About the Author
Becki Noles is the virtual business manager and online marketing dynamo of the Virtual Accuracy CompaniesЛаптоп Магазин р лаптопmach zehnder modulator. She and her associates work with the top business and marketing coaches in the United States and the world over providing SEO, Pay Per Click, website development and technical virtual assistant services. Get the free 9 part series “How to Market Your Business” by visiting The Selon Group (a division of the Virtual Accuracy Companies).
Now that you have written those helpful articles to bring more business to your business, they’ll need to find a home. Good articles can find plenty of homes at article submissions websites. Here are the basics for getting that article ready and submitting it to an article site.
1. Write about what you know. This goes for anyone who wants to write articles and have them accepted by a submission site. For the business owner looking to increase traffic and revenue, the topics will pertain to your business in general, business products that you sell, and/or business services that you provide.
2. Aim for an article length of at least 400 words. Some sites will accept articles with as few as 250 words, but it will take at least 400 words to flesh out an idea and gain the interest of the reader. Check with the sites you will submit to for word count requirements.
3. Proofread the article. There is nothing worse than an article with typos and grammatical errors. Good articles have been rejected because of simple errors that could have been avoided. Use spell checker or a second pair of eyes to be sure the article is ready to go to a submission site. Even if you use a ghostwriter for the articles, give the work a once over to be sure it says exactly what you are trying to convey to the reader. Don’t forget to use keywords for a more SEO-friendly piece.
4. Check out the sites where your article will get the most coverage. Popular article submissions sites with high marks will work the best. If you don’t want to put all of your eggs into one basket or even a few baskets, use an article submission service. They submit good quality articles to hundreds of sites for you depending on the subject matter of your articles. You submit once on their site and that’s that. Be aware that there are sites that don’t accept submissions from article services. For those you will have to submit one by one.
5. Some sites require registration. Even for the free ones, the registration comes with a profile page. This is where you will post links to your business and talk about it.
6. Keep a running list of article submission for your records. This way, you can track when the articles are published, the upfront payment, and how business traffic and sales change as a result of the articles.
7. Wait for news that the articles have been published and are being viewed. Submit more articles as you have time. It is a good idea to keep making regular submissions. If you gain a following you don’t want to lose them.
About the Author
Becki Noles is the virtual business manager and online marketing dynamo of the Virtual Accuracy Companies. She and her associates work with the top business and marketing coaches in the United States and the world over providing SEO, Pay Per Click, website development and technical virtual assistant services. Get the free 9 part series “How to Market Your Business” by visiting The Selon Group (a division of the Virtual Accuracy Companies).
Blogs have been around for many years. They started out, in the beginning, as great personal journals for Internet users who wanted to share their daily lives with their family and friends. Now, fast forward through the years to today; where they are now commonly used as business tools as well as private diaries of sorts.
Blogs are basically mini-websites authors use to post information about a specific topic. Some blogs share experiences of an author’s career path, while others provide up to date news concerning the topic their blog presents.
What Makes Blogs Such a Great Tool to a Business Owner?
Blogs can provide so many opportunities for business to reap rewards that no business website should be without one. Here are some of the benefits a blog can provide any business owner:
A blog can drive more targeted traffic to their main site.
Blogs are favorites of search engines. They provide up to date content on a regular basis, so search engines will find them easier. Blogs can also be linked with other like-minded blogs to allow for more click-through visitors. Social bookmarking sites, social media sites and even message board forums love them as well. People will refer their friends to them when they see something they like.
Blogs make it easier to gain return visitors.
If a visitor likes your blog, they’ll keep coming back to see what else you have to say on a specific topic. Business blogs can be linked to the main company site as well. The more times people stop by, the more chances an owner has of getting those visitors to your business site.
Blogs allow one to easily gain expert status amongst a target audience.
The more you blog about your site’s topic, the more you come across as an expert in that field. A visitor can be awed by the information you’re offering them and could look up to you as an expert on a particular subject. Now, the next time they need to buy a certain product or need help with something in that area, they will think of you first.
Blogs are user friendly and inexpensive to boot.
There are blog programs that you can sign up for free or for a very nominal fee. Most blogs are easy to set up as they generally walk you through the process step-by-step. There aren’t too many marketing tools that are as easy to use and inexpensive to obtain. This alone makes a blog painless to your business budget.
Business blogs are easier when it comes to upkeep.
Blogs are fun to use, which makes them much easier to maintain. Posting regular tidbits of your chosen topic keeps a blog updated without a lot of hassle. Updating websites is essential, but can be time consuming and confusing as well.
The biggest benefit business blogs provide is…
Building Rapport with Your Target Audience
This is, by far, the best benefit you can obtain from a blog. Blogs have comment sections where readers can leave messages for you to let you know they liked what you said in a post or to add their own thoughts on the topic at hand.
You’re building a relationship with your target audience that can help gain trust from them as well as find out what they’re looking for in a product. This is your way to get an inside look at what your customer’s wants and needs are without spending lots of money on marketing surveys and advertisements that don’t work.
Blogs can give your business everything mentioned above and more. Adding a blog to your arsenal of marketing tools is a must do for any online business owner.
About the Author
Becki Noles is the virtual business manager and online marketing dynamo of the Virtual Accuracy Companies. She and her associates work with the top business and marketing coaches in the United States and the world over providing SEO, Pay Per Click, website development and technical virtual assistant services. Get the free 9 part series “How to Market Your Business” by visiting The Selon Group (a division of the Virtual Accuracy Companies).
Believe it or not, we all have times when we just can’t get motivated to “get up and go”.
Whether that “go” is to go to work or to write an article or to clean house or to tackle a huge project for a client.
How many times have you taken the time to sit in on this or that teleseminar or to even read this or that motivational book to learn hundreds of ways to improve your life? But then all that learning just set up camp in your brain because you didn’t do anything with it.
Instead, you got side-tracked watching that crazy Aflac duck in his latest predicament (I love that duck!). Perhaps you didn’t feel like doing what you ought to have been doing and so you did nothing!
Aflac duck or not, sometimes even the highly motivated of us may sometimes find ourselves in the throes of lazy and more readily disregard the nagging pull to start on an important task.
So what’s a body to do?
Actually, there are probably dozens of solutions. We’ll just focus on six of some of the best techniques we’ve found. Of course, “best” is really subjective but these will be a springboard to get you thinking along these or similar lines.
Try them all or do a mix-and-match. With six, there ought to be at least one or two that will motivate you to get your motivation jumping.
1. Talk to get motivated. It’s the New Year, so now’s the time to tell everyone you know you’re going on a diet. Really! Or you’re going to work out at the gym three times a week. Sound familiar? Many years ago, one or two of the young women I worked with would begin each new year with resolutions like these. And they would talk about it and talk about it and talk about it.
And all of the talk (mostly) worked because once you “make it public” by telling someone, it not only boosts your motivation it does hold you accountable to yourself. Well, it’s supposed to be a means to hold you accountable!
What you do is create energy and motivation as well as a desire to lose weight or to stick to an exercise regimen.
2. Stimulate your desire. I am a “knock on your door” salesman’s dream, and a full shopping cart’s my nightmare!
Over the years, I have managed to amass a cupboard-full of dishes and pots and pans and drawers and closets of jewelry and snazzy make-up, and whatever, from a multitude of sales people hocking their wares on the neighborhood streets or, in latter years, on the airwaves.
You name, it I think I have to have it.
That’s motivation; someone’s message was a significant call to action to motivate me to sign up for or to buy whatever they were selling. Oy!
So, if we watch them we can learn how to be our own sales people. Minus the “you can’t live without this’ push, that is.
3. Stimulate your pain. In this instance, the pain does not refer to the pain you experience with a broken leg or with having eaten something that upset your stomach or that which gave you that famous Excedrin headache number 59.
But rather, it’s the emotional distress to which you might be subjected if you didn’t go to work. Or to avoid a math test you took a snow day from school without the benefit of snow. The consequence maybe resulted in a loss of pay or a lower grade on the test. Or worse.
4. Find a true interest. If everyone around you is thrilled to stand in line at midnight for the latest Harry Potter book or to line up for tickets to the opera and you would rather skip three meals than do either, then figure out something that motivates you to action. Like maybe you don’t like to clean house but if you somehow got word Jon Bon Jovi is stopping by soon, how fast do you suppose your motivation would motivate a clean house? The neighbors alone would probably take care of that for you!
5. Boost your energy. Perhaps you’ve noticed how the desire to lose weight sometimes leads some of us to drink coffee, to use diet pills or to drink diet pop. This is because the energy-inducing ingredients in these products boost our systems and act as an impetus to motivate us. Actually, exercising and getting a good night’s sleep will as well.
Since the “moody blues” can sometimes be brought on by too many sugary foods, and the “sugar blues”, in turn, can quickly put you to sleep in your chair or at best kill your motivation, a wise caution is to limit the use of sugar products.
6. Take any small step. Neil Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind”. He probably didn’t mean it quite like this. But, if you commit to doing just one task for one day toward your goal, perhaps like writing a paragraph in a sales letter, it won’t be long before you get motivated enough to finish the sales letter because you just know when it’s finished you’ll be able to finish uploading your e-book to your Web site and you can then start selling it and earning money. Money speaks pretty loud.
Bottom line, motivation techniques really do work.
Some of the foregoing examples attest to the fact that motivation techniques really do work. However, the “how” is up to you since what stirs your colleagues or neighbors may not stir your soul.
In any case, a good laugh can overcome a lot of things so whatever the path you choose to use to rev up your motivator, let humor be your guide.
About the Author
Want something to read? Click to Konceptuality to get your copy of our weekly ezine, “On the Bright Side”. Karen McGreevey, Virtual Assistant and Expert Author, at Konceptuality specializes in editing/proofreading and general administrative support services to small business consultants, coaches. Contact Karen at kmcgreevey @ konceptuality.com for details.
There are many benefits of achieving our goals. It is not just the final goal that is important. Some wise men say that the journey is more important than the destination. Could this be true in terms of our goals and objectives in life? Absolutely!
Part of our goal setting plan can be to identify the benefits of our goals. Why are we trying so hard to achieve this goal? More times than not, it’s because we want something about us to change as a result of achieving the goal.
One benefit to finishing your goal is patience. Very few goals can be completely accomplished in twenty-four hours or less. We have to face the fact that it will take a while to reach our goal. If we embrace this thought, the entire process from start to finish won’t seem as daunting. In the end, we have learned just how true it is when people tell us “good things come to those who wait.”
Networking is another advantage to attaining our goals. As we strive to achieve goals we encounter like minded people along the way. These people have been in our shoes before and have precious information to share. This type of relationship doesn’t end when the goal is achieved. Valuable contacts continue to find us and even work with us to achieve bigger goals for both parties.
Some of our goals involve positive health benefits as well. Health related goals, although it may not seem so at the time, are some of the more immediate ones. Losing weight, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, and quitting destructive, addictive habits come with benefits that translate into longer more fulfilling lives. It’s hard to achieve goals from the grave. Once our health goals are achieved, we can look forward to setting other goals.
For long term goals, it can take courage, sacrifice and a serious look into our character. Who we truly are is revealed through the obstacles, responses to negative attitudes, and high points of the goal achieving process. Each milestone is a test of what we believe in. At the end, we realize that it is not just the goal that was achieved but a new sense of self that couldn’t have come about any other way.
In this life, we need each other. This comes into play in the setting of goals. A goal doesn’t seem as impossible with others helping us to achieve it. Instead of being alone with our thoughts we share them with someone who will understand, has been where we are, or is willing to encourage and see us through.
Closer relationships are a byproduct of goal achievement. Those people who have been with us throughout the process have earned our respect and a reciprocal relationship when it comes time for them to embark on their own goals.
The benefits of achieving goals are not limited to the simply the goal itself. In the process, other lessons are learned like living healthier, becoming mentally tough, and how to weather setbacks. Even if the goal is not met, we still have a lot to be proud of ourselves for because the journey has taught and brought us so much.
About the Author
Becki Noles is the virtual business manager and online marketing dynamo of the Virtual Accuracy Companies. She and her associates work with the top business and marketing coaches in the United States and the world over providing SEO, Pay Per Click, website development and technical virtual assistant services. Get the free 9 part series “How to Market Your Business” by visiting The Selon Group (a division of the Virtual Accuracy Companies).
Believe it or not, we all have times when we just can’t get motivated to “get up and go”.
Whether that “go” is to go to work or to write an article or to clean house or to tackle a huge project for a client.
How many times have you taken the time to sit in on this or that teleseminar or to even read this or that motivational book to learn hundreds of ways to improve your life? But then all that learning just set up camp in your brain because you didn’t do anything with it.
Instead, you got side-tracked watching that crazy Aflac duck in his latest predicament (I love that duck!). Perhaps you didn’t feel like doing what you ought to have been doing and so you did nothing!
Aflac duck or not, sometimes even the highly motivated of us may sometimes find ourselves in the throes of lazy and more readily disregard the nagging pull to start on an important task.
So what’s a body to do?
Actually, there are probably dozens of solutions. We’ll just focus on six of some of the best techniques we’ve found. Of course, “best” is really subjective but these will be a springboard to get you thinking along these or similar lines.
Try them all or do a mix-and-match. With six, there ought to be at least one or two that will motivate you to get your motivation jumping.
1. Talk to get motivated. It’s the New Year, so now’s the time to tell everyone you know you’re going on a diet. Really! Or you’re going to work out at the gym three times a week. Sound familiar? Many years ago, one or two of the young women I worked with would begin each new year with resolutions like these. And they would talk about it and talk about it and talk about it.
And all of the talk (mostly) worked because once you “make it public” by telling someone, it not only boosts your motivation it does hold you accountable to yourself. Well, it’s supposed to be a means to hold you accountable!
What you do is create energy and motivation as well as a desire to lose weight or to stick to an exercise regimen.
2. Stimulate your desire. I am a “knock on your door” salesman’s dream, and a full shopping cart’s my nightmare!
Over the years, I have managed to amass a cupboard-full of dishes and pots and pans and drawers and closets of jewelry and snazzy make-up, and whatever, from a multitude of sales people hocking their wares on the neighborhood streets or, in latter years, on the airwaves.
You name, it I think I have to have it.
That’s motivation; someone’s message was a significant call to action to motivate me to sign up for or to buy whatever they were selling. Oy!
So, if we watch them we can learn how to be our own sales people. Minus the “you can’t live without this’ push, that is.
3. Stimulate your pain. In this instance, the pain does not refer to the pain you experience with a broken leg or with having eaten something that upset your stomach or that which gave you that famous Excedrin headache number 59.
But rather, it’s the emotional distress to which you might be subjected if you didn’t go to work. Or to avoid a math test you took a snow day from school without the benefit of snow. The consequence maybe resulted in a loss of pay or a lower grade on the test. Or worse.
4. Find a true interest. If everyone around you is thrilled to stand in line at midnight for the latest Harry Potter book or to line up for tickets to the opera and you would rather skip three meals than do either, then figure out something that motivates you to action. Like maybe you don’t like to clean house but if you somehow got word Jon Bon Jovi is stopping by soon, how fast do you suppose your motivation would motivate a clean house? The neighbors alone would probably take care of that for you!
5. Boost your energy. Perhaps you’ve noticed how the desire to lose weight sometimes leads some of us to drink coffee, to use diet pills or to drink diet pop. This is because the energy-inducing ingredients in these products boost our systems and act as an impetus to motivate us. Actually, exercising and getting a good night’s sleep will as well.
Since the “moody blues” can sometimes be brought on by too many sugary foods, and the “sugar blues”, in turn, can quickly put you to sleep in your chair or at best kill your motivation, a wise caution is to limit the use of sugar products.
6. Take any small step. Neil Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind”. He probably didn’t mean it quite like this. But, if you commit to doing just one task for one day toward your goal, perhaps like writing a paragraph in a sales letter, it won’t be long before you get motivated enough to finish the sales letter because you just know when it’s finished you’ll be able to finish uploading your e-book to your Web site and you can then start selling it and earning money. Money speaks pretty loud.
Bottom line, motivation techniques really do work.
Some of the foregoing examples attest to the fact that motivation techniques really do work. However, the “how” is up to you since what stirs your colleagues or neighbors may not stir your soul.
In any case, a good laugh can overcome a lot of things so whatever the path you choose to use to rev up your motivator, let humor be your guide.
About the Author
Want something to read? Click to Konceptuality to get your copy of our weekly ezine, “On the Bright Side”. Karen McGreevey, Virtual Assistant and Expert Author, at Konceptuality specializes in editing/proofreading and general administrative support services to small business consultants, coaches. Contact Karen at kmcgreevey @ konceptuality.com for details.
You have probably heard about Life Coaching one way or another – and are still confused about what it really is and how it works Rightfully so – the profession has really only been around for the past 20 years and is gaining traction in the corporate and professional world. It can be compared to chiropractic, acupuncture and other holistic modalities which are only now fully accepted by the mainstream. Like these alternative therapies and other up and coming professions, there are a few myths that surround Life Coaching as it continues to make headway in the collective consciousness. In fact, I believe Coaching is on the tipping point in cracking the mainstream, and here’s why it will make considerable waves once it does.
Myth #1 – Life Coaching is like Therapy.
There is a common belief that Coaching is another form of psychotherapy. Coaching grew out of Organizational Development and has evolved since its inception. The main difference between therapy and Coaching has to do with the time period they focus on. Where therapy deals with a person’s past issues, experiences and behaviors, Coaching is more future focused. Coaching enables the client to get into action towards their future self. By setting goals, creating accountability and looking at the client’s bigger picture agenda, clients moves quickly forward towards what they really want to create in their lives. And unlike therapy, Coaching is done primarily over the phone. Most people question how that could work, but it does!
Myth #2 – Life Coaching is not a real profession.
There are many people who don’t know that there are schools, professional programs, credentialing, and even an association that oversees the Coaching profession. The International Coaches Federation is a global organization that exists solely to set high standards for Coaching by providing a code of ethics, research and credentialing standards to continue to develop the profession. More and more, businesses and individuals are looking for Coaches to be professionally certified and have proper credentialing which helps develop credibility and trust in the profession.
Myth #3 – Life Coaches give advice, instruct or “fix” things.
Many believe that Life Coaches have all the answers – and they can somehow magically “fix” lives. The truth is – you are the only expert on YOUR life. The Co-Active style of Coaching holds the belief that clients are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole and that they are capable of facing the challenges in their lives. So if you’re paying a Coach and they seem to be giving you tips or advice on what to do with your life, be wary! Nobody should tell you what to do with your life, and are only doing you a disservice if they pretend they know what’s right for you.
Myth #4 – Life Coaching is only for executives or celebrities.
While there many executive Coaches out there that work primarily with business executives and organizations, or Coaches that work with celebrities like Oprah – they aren’t off limits to regular people wanting change in their lives. More than ever, Coaching is becoming more affordable and available. You can find Coaches that are in a particular niche that fit your needs. Try doing a search on websites like The Coaches Training Institute www.thecoaches.com or the ICF www.coachfederation.org for professional, credentialed Coaches.
Myth #5 – Life Coaching is “woo woo” and based on spirituality.
Some people think Coaching is very “California” – and that it’s based on some sort of spiritual teaching. Although there is a spiritual aspect to Coaching, it isn’t based on The Secret. Coaching gives clients very specific tools to empower them to their full potential. By staying curious, and holding the clients agenda, Coaches allow for life-changing personal development to occur over a period of time. Strengthening the mind-body-spirit connection is usually a by-product of Coaching, and only happens if the client is willing and motivated to look deep and get curious about his or her own life. Sometimes it is like magic!
So there you have it – the 5 big myths of Life Coaching officially debunked! If you have considered Life Coaching or were wondering what it is, hopefully you have a better idea! And if you still have questions, the best way to learn more is by giving it a try. You might be surprised with the results.
About the Author
Monique Svazlian is a Professional Life Coach trained through The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and she is also a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF). She is also a solo-entrepreneur having founded Highest Path Coaching where she offers her services to individuals and organizations. Monique has extensive experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors and specializes in working with women leaders to empower them in work and life. You can find out more about Highest Path Coaching at http://www.highestpath.com or email her at monique@highestpath.com
Every January most of us feel the urge to make the New Year our best one yet. While a new year is a great time to evaluate your life and your future, you may feel a lot of pressure to do something big to initiate a life change at the beginning of a new calendar year.
If you didn’t make any resolutions last year as you watched the ball drop, don’t feel bad about it. You can set goals whenever you want – it doesn’t have to be on January 1st!
Do you find it difficult to stick to a goal because you always lose momentum after the first couple of weeks? (How many years have you been trying to lose those same 10 pounds?)
These five tips will help keep you focused – you can reach your goals this year!
1. Write it down. Whether you want to lose weight, double your income or renovate your kitchen you should put it in writing. You’re much more likely to reach your goals if they’re written down and placed somewhere they can be seen every day to remind you.
2. List your past successes. Before you even start to write down your goals, take some time to write down your past accomplishments. Think back and write down anything you consider a personal success. For example, did you run a marathon, recover from cancer, buy your first house before you were 30, beat out hundreds of applicants for a specific job or to get into a certain school, win an award, raise money for a cause, raise happy and healthy children, start your own business? When you remember all the great things you’ve made happen in your life, you’ll feel empowered and this will put you in the right frame of mind to achieve the new goals you set for your future.
3. Be specific. Don’t set vague goals, be very specific and make sure your goals are realistic, measurable and attainable. Instead of a general statement that you want to be healthy in 2009, write your goal as, “Lose 5 pounds per month and exercise 30 minute each day.” And if your general goal is to double your profit and you have your own business, be specific about how that could be achieved. For example, “add one more project or client per month and reduce operating costs by 50%.” This puts you in the right mindset to be able to plan how you’ll achieve that goal.
4. Tell someone. Another good way to increase your chance of success is to declare your goals to others and find someone to hold you accountable as you work towards meeting them. But choose who you share your goals with carefully. It needs to be someone who genuinely wants you to succeed and won’t feel insecure or threatened by your success. If for example, you and your best friend are both overweight and she has no intention of losing, she likely won’t support you in your own weight loss goals. If you’re trying to grow your own business and you’re surrounded by others on the road to bankruptcy, they’ll be in no position to support your growth. For these reasons, it’s sometimes preferable to hire a coach. Their role is to support your success and motivate you to keep going.
5. Use visuals. You’ve probably heard of a ‘Vision Board’. Maybe you have one or maybe you’ve brushed the idea off. The truth is a strong visual representation of your goals can help you reach them. If you want to start your own business, for example, clip out photos from magazines that represent that to you. Don’t be too literal. Think also of what being in your own business will mean to your income, sense of self and lifestyle. When you look at those images, your subconscious will continue to keep you focused on achieving your goals without you even knowing it.
Make 2009 the last year you set those same goals for yourself by setting yourself up for success from the beginning.
About the Author
Debra Gould, president of the internationally recognized home staging company Six Elements Inc. has no trouble attracting clients. An entrepreneur by the age of 30, she also created The Staging Diva® Home Staging Business Training Program with 1000+ Graduates worldwide & is the founder of the Directory of Home Stagers. To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com.
It was great to work with Becki on the launch of my book, 'EFT and Beyond'. Since I'd never had a major launch before, she produced a manual for my affiliates, and walked me through the expectations and procedures. The launch earned almost $40,000, largely from affiliate sales. I had one of my affiliates (more experienced than I!) say it was the smoothest affiliate experience he'd ever had. Thanks, Becki!
I had socks on before you did some work for me, and your results knocked them right off! I put out a call for virtual assistance and had a ton of responses. You were the ONLY company that not only met my expectations, but exceeded them! Your turnaround time always is quick, your work quality and attention to detail is second to none. You are now a valuable part of my team and I look forward to a long relationship with Virtual Accuracy.
Scott Stratten
Marketing Coach Un-Marketing
Toronto, ON Canada
kO′ch VA adj. 1. a highly specialized and niched virtual
assistant who is in tune with their coaching clients and customizes solutions based upon their individual needs and goals 2. differs from a general virtual assistant as they only partner with members of the coaching industry [syn: 
Calvin Coolidge once said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Being a good decision maker can help you in business and life. It’s been said that highly confident people make decisions clearly and stick to them rather than changing their minds or being indecisive.
